Thursday, September 26, 2013

Spotlight and GIVEAWAY: Let Love In and Let Love Stay by Melissa Collins

What would happen if you lost everything? If the people who were supposed to love you unconditionally were no longer there for you, how would your world change?That’s exactly what happened to Madeleine Becker when her parents died when she was ten years old. Ripped from her home and everything that she has ever loved, she is forced to start all over again. The only way for her to move on is to build walls around her heart and keep everyone at a safe distance. Her logic: she can't get hurt if she doesn't fall in love.That theory is blown to pieces when she meets Reid Connely during her freshman year at college. He is gorgeous and darkly mysterious. He understands Maddy's pain all too well, but sharing his pain would mean breaking down the walls he put up around his own heart. Conflicted between loving Maddy and hiding his dark past, Reid starts to reevaluate his world. Maddy's inner strength, snarky personality and breath taking beauty help Reid to make peace with his past.Together they find out what happens when they let love in.

Jennifer D's review of Let Love In:

I am a sucker for a good love story and Let Love In is one of those! Melissa Collins does an exceptional job bring us the good and the bad from two point of views, Maddy and Reid. They both have their issues in love and trust; together can they make it work?Maddy is just starting college. She lost her parents when she was 10 and went to live with her aunt her also a short time later passes away. She moves with her best friend and her mom and they become her adopted family. She has learned to push everyone away, she doesn't believe in falling in love and having a relationship as anyone she gets close to dies. Reid is in his last year of college. He is the baseball star and the womanizer that goes with being the star popular jock. He too has suffered a great loss and keeps every out. It’s easier to keep emotions out of his relationships so he doesn’t have them.At a party their worlds collide, literally... they bump into each other and sparks fly. They have a instant connection but because of their pasts, neither reacts. For the next couple of weeks Maddy notices him around campus and finally they both act on what they feel. It's an emotional story of love and loss and everything in between. And never mind the hotness factor that goes with it! There are some steamy, page turner scenes that keep you wanting more from Maddy and Reid. But when everything seems like its perfect tragedy strikes again. Will it ruin their relationship or make them stronger? Can they trust each other even though neither has really had a meaningful relationship? You will have to read to find out!

If you’re lucky, you’ll fall in love – truly, madly and deeply in love. But what happens when that honest and pure love isn’t enough to erase your fears? What happens when your past rears its ugly head and threatens your future?Maddy and Reid had that kind of love – the all-encompassing, Earth shattering, once in a lifetime kind of love. Then life happened. Old wounds that were thought to be long healed and scabbed over are ripped opened and they are forced to face the possibility that, maybe, they are not strong enough to fight their demons and embrace the light.Together, they found out what love is, but now they will each need to heal on their own before they can ever be together again. They must face their fears and beat down their pasts in order to find their way through this crazy uphill battle called love.They’ve let love in, but now, they need to find out how to Let Love Stay.

Jennifer D's review of Let Love Stay:

Where do I start with this one… If you are a fan of a true love story that conquers all, this book is for you! It made my heart melt, it has great hot and steamy sex scenes, and the hot male that keeps us turning the pages. This is the second book in the Love Series so if you have not read Let Love In, what are you waiting for?!?! Stop reading this review… go to Amazon, Barnes and Noble or wherever you get your fix from and download it! It’s an amazing story and is a must read! And this review will spoil the first book so don’t read this if you haven’t read the first book. Ok… now I have that out of the way let’s look into Let Love Stay. The story picks up exactly where Let Love In left of. There is no break which I love! Maddy and Reid just found out she is pregos and he walks out of the hospital. Maddy decides to go back home and have the baby. She pushes Reid away and lets her own problems get in the way of her happiness. She quits school and starts working full time so she will have insurance and to save money for the baby. Reid is dealing with his home troubles as well. He just made the biggest mistake of his life by walking out. Maddy rejects him and he feels hopeless. He tries to contact her but her phone is disconnected. He thinks she has moved on without her. He is still copping from his brother’s suicide and losing his family in the process. His newly found step sister reaches out to him as he finds out his mother is dying. He still harbors a huge amount of hatred towards her for pushing him away but deals with it as she is now fighting for her life. He goes and meets with her and he is able to learn her side of what happened and how she regrets not being there for him. Reid finally decides he cannot live without her and goes after the one girl he has ever loved. When they are together its pure magic! He loves her but will it be too late for him and Maddy or will an old friend from Maddy’s past be there for her. Will they get their happily ever after they so deserve. Can their tragic past make the perfect harmony together? You will need to find out and get the book! I so loved every minute of it and highly recommend this to anyone you loves any sort of romance books! It has it all! 5 huge stars! Gotta love Reid… Here is my favorite line.

“As much as I hate to admit it, she owns me. Her eyes are magical. They dance with light and passion and when she looks at me, they are filled with love”

And then my favorite Maddy line.

“He looks like sex on a stick. Sex on a bad-boy stick and he’s all mine” Who wouldn’t love sex on a bad boy stick?!?!

I’ve always been an avid reader. Majoring in English Literature was a no brainer. Becoming a teacher and instilling my love for reading into my students was also a no brainer. I’ve spent the last ten years teaching and I’ve loved (mostly) every minute of it. When I was home on maternity leave for my third son, I discovered a new genre that sparked my creativity. My passion for writing sprang from my love of reading and once I knew I had a story to tell, I couldn’t wait to get it out there. I only hope that my readers enjoy reading my story as much as I enjoyed writing it.